- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- Colored sugars and granulated sugar
- Whisk flour and salt together in a small bowl.
- In large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add granulated sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add about one-third of flour mixture and mix on low speed. Gradually add remaining flour, mixing just until blended. Scrape dough onto large piece of plastic wrap form into 2 very flat discs, cover completely with wrap, and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out, at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Take 1 disc and roll out to ¼-inch thickness on floured surface; you may need to flour the pin, too. Cut out cookies with shapes of choice. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Decorate with colored sugars or granulated sugar as you wish. Bake until edges just begin to turn light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Slide parchment onto racks to cool cookies completely.